


The Purrfect Brew

by Florianna, Queerily_kai



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Barnes Family, Bucky Barnes Has Cats, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, M/M, Shrunkyclunks, avenger cats, baker/barrista bucky, cat!cafe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-03 16:24:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14000010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Florianna/pseuds/Florianna, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queerily_kai/pseuds/Queerily_kai
Summary: Meet Bucky Barnes, reluctant owner of the café Purrfect Brew, in Brooklyn, where clients can get their fills of books, coffee and cats who are too smart for their own good.  His life is quiet and that’s the way he likes it, until aliens hit Manhattan.Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, has been in the 21rst century for two weeks when aliens hit Manhattan. He’s not sure what to do with himself afterwards and is half considering the offer to work with SHIELD.  Bruce, recognizing a lost soul, drags him to his favourite quiet place, the Purrfect Brew. Steve, being intrigued by the quiet barista and his sisters, come back often by himself, determined to learn more about the Barnes family, mostly Bucky.And when the past comes back, somehow it's still not as bad as it could have been.





	The Purrfect Brew

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to the shrunkyclunks big bang.
> 
> I haven't felt compelled to write anything in about 15 years. My skills are definitely a little rusty.
> 
> Thank you to the wonderful [ Queerily_kai ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queerily_kai/pseuds/Queerily_kai) for the fantastic art pieces.
> 
> Thank you, as always, to my betas the wonderful [ foolishnotions ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolishnotions/pseuds/foolishnotions) and [ pohadka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pohadka/works)

The day it all happened, the Infamous Day, the Day of Destiny, [Bucky once tried to call it D-Day, but considering where it all ended up, he figured it wasn’t the best title ever] but anyway, the day it all began started off normally, too normally really, when he thought about it.

Early that morning, just as he had done for the past six months, the bakery had opened and Bucky Barnes made his way to the small bakery he had rented with help from his family. It had taken a while for his three sisters to convince him to do this, but he had caved, just like everyone knew he would.

But caved he had and now he was the proud owner of The Purrfect Brew, a café in the middle of Brooklyn.

He made his way inside the bakery, on this perfectly normal day and was greeted the same exact way as he had for the last six months: with abnormally loud meows and almost tripping over Crookshanks, the friendliest cat that made The Purrfect Brew his home.

He slowly made his way through the six or seven cats lounging around the floor, stopping at the cat tree, letting the cat hanging there climb on his shoulder. She didn’t have a name yet but he was sure that it wouldn’t take long for one of his sisters to find one.

“All right, cats, time for food then I need some coffee,” he said as he made his way to the kitchen.

The café part of the storefront had been the easiest to design.  It was an eclectic mix of comfy, traditional and slightly more modern.  Big comfy chairs in front of the windows and small tables dotted the area in front of the counter. Nothing matched and it was perfect in Bucky's eyes.

The day continued on it’s usual fashion, the regulars eventually making their way to the cafe.

Strangely enough, around mid-day his parents and siblings made their way to the shop.  It wasn’t unusual for his sisters to be around, even though he was the one in charge of their idea but it was finals time for two of them and he knew Becca had taken at least two classes more than she should have.

It should have tipped him off on how strange the day was going to be, but he was busy with his regulars so he just put them to work.

Everything was normal until about mid-afternoon. That’s when all hell broke loose, literally.

A strange sound echoed through the city.  He wouldn’t have paid attention to it, except it was strangely familiar…

“Oh my god, that sounds like the Reapers in that game I’m playing!” shouted his youngest sister, Evie

Her brown curls bounced as she threw herself out the door, his dad jumping off after her.

He would have run off after her too, but the unnamed cat jumped back on his shoulders, digging his claws in while the others all hissed and went to hide at the same time.

Bucky frowned.  It didn’t make any sense. Most of them were chill, that’s why they were chosen for this special adoption project and he couldn’t understand what was so special about that sound.

He managed to get free of the cat on his shoulder and made his way outside.

“Hey dad what’s…” he trailed off, following their gaze across the river.

That was… He rubbed his eyes, and looked again. It was a portal, over Manhattan. If he wasn’t mistaken.  He barely heard the rest of his family and regulars coming out, still gaping at the hole in the sky.

That’s when his mom grabbed his hand.  He jumped and turned to glare at her but the look on her face made him stop whatever it was that he was going to say. She didn’t look scared, she looked… determined?

“Come on, everyone inside. There’s a panic room in the basement.”

He was dragged inside, his father and sisters following. He was halfway to the basement before he managed to get free, remembering the cats.  He didn’t know if there was anything more pointless than trying to herd cats but after trying everything from toys to actual herd, he became a little desperate and finally brought out the food, bringing them all downstairs thanks to that.

“OK, mom, seriously, what the hell is going on?” was the first thing out of his mouth as he stared at her closing the door. It was fairly comfortable down here with a small tv and some couches and chairs and even stuff for the cats.

“I wanted to be sure you were safe if something happened!”

“Something like what?” He paused and watched the tv for a bit, listening. “You were scared of an alien invasion?”

“Why not?”

“Seriously, mom? Aliens? It's probably something that Stark did. Just a prank or an event to announce one of his new products.” Becca snorted and Maddie nodded.

“I mean, we all know just how big of a show off he really is.”

He was about to add to that but something off the tv caught his attention. Someone inside the closed off zone had a camera and was actually livestreaming what was going on in the streets.

Bucky shook his head. Only in New York, he thought.

He sat down with the rest of the group, eyes glued to the tv.  They could see people fighting down in the streets and he snorted. One of them was actually wearing a replica Captain America costume and he was now more sure than ever that it was just some kind of Stark PR stunt. He had no experience in fighting or armour but even he could see that there was barely anything to protect the guy so there was no way it was a real battle.

“They must be filming a movie,” Kate, one of his regulars said. He was always surprised to see her coming back since, in her own words, cats were evil and dogs were the best but apparently he made the best coffee in Brooklyn.

“It’s probably a Stark PR thing for his new clean energy building,” Becca added, shifting a little when she realized she was going to miss her class.

“I just want to know why they had to use Captain America. I mean, it’s not like he means anything anymore right?” added Evie, ignoring the looks she was getting. “He’s been dead for 70 years, we should get more modern superheroes, like Iron Man.”

Bucky shook his head and elbowed her. He and Becca grew up with Captain America’s posters on their wall, possibly for the same reason. Not that they ever spoke to each other about it. He had the biggest crush on Tiny Steve Rogers, and it did carry on to Steve Rogers 2.0 and he really didn’t need to know whether or not his sister had one too.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the camera panned to the supposed creatures attacking New York.  He recoiled at the sight even as his two youngest sisters discussed their similarities to another game they were playing.  Becca rolled her eyes and leaned into Bucky’s side.

“Do you really think it’s just a PR thing?”she whispered at him.  He shot her a look.

“What else do you expect it to be? Actual aliens? I don’t even believe what happened in New Mexico. And besides, you’re the one obsessed with that,” he mutters shaking his head. “Good but too many similarities.” He waves at Evie and Maddie.

He rolled his eyes at the look on her face. Well, they weren’t done with this, whether if it was true or not.  His mother seemed to believe whatever they were showing on tv, even with the Cap look-alike throwing around a shield (A SHIELD) against those guns and, really, Bucky may be a sucker when it came to his family, but there was no way he’d ever believe that any of this was true.

From the corner of his eyes he could see his mother on the phone.  He assumed she was talking to friends to make sure they were safe or the rest of the family, reassuring them. But the fact that some of his regulars seem to congregate around her confused him and he was about to get up and ask what was going on before Maddie cried out, “Oh my God!”

He turned back to the tv fast enough to see Iron Man free fall from the hole in the sky and he could feel everyone around here hold their breath, releasing it in a long sigh when the Hulk finally caught him.

“They shot a nuclear missile at the city!” His dad was fuming.

“Who… what?” He frowned.

“I don’t know who. The government probably,” his dad grumbled under his breath.

“Well that was a nice PR thing for Stark,” Becca snarked and rolled her eyes and Bucky sighed.

He wasn’t sure what it was anymore.  He figured he’d wait to see the official reports in the next few days.

But as of yet, with the danger passed, it was probably a good idea to help and let everyone out.  They’d probably need a lot of help in Manhattan.

***

Steve was tired. Oh, so very tired.  He was pretty sure it was the entire day of fighting but sometimes it just felt like more.  He was bone tired.

He was… relieved to see the other Avengers seem to be as tired as he felt. He definitely had to try this… shawarma?... another time.  He was too hungry to really be tasting them and they smell really good.

Right now, sleep felt like a better idea.  He probably should be checking on his teammates. He wasn’t sure Tony was actually back with them and Clint still look haunted. That might not change for a bit.  The fight had been an ordeal for everyone, even Thor. The only one who seemed to be enjoying his food was Bruce.

“So, anyway, here we are.”

He half listened to Tony’s ramblings and yawned, taking another bite.  He also wondered if he could take the rest home for later.

He frowned at that thought.  Did he still have an apartment? He was pretty sure the destruction had been limited to the Upper East Side so he should be fine.  But who knew?

*******

Steve rubbed his face as he woke up the next day.  He had stayed at the tower for the night. Too tired to even think about going back home.

Tony had been nice enough to lend all of them functional rooms and he had been insistent about giving them all a floor each. Even though Bruce would probably be the only one that’ll take him up on it.

He felt marginally better that morning. Good enough to go and get some breakfast that JARVIS guided him to when he was awake enough to show himself in public.

He stepped inside the kitchen and paused when he saw everyone else there.  He wasn’t sure what he thought about his own teammates but it could be worse.  Thinking about the Howling Commandos still gave him a pang in his stomach but it helped that none of his teammates remotely resemble his old teammates.  Pepper had the poise Peggy had always exhibited but other than that, there was no way he could mistake the two.

Clint and Natasha were talking quietly in the corner but spared him a smile when he got himself some food and a drink. Tony was talking at twice the speed of a normal human being to Bruce who was only half listening to him.

He sat next to Thor, who seemed lost in thoughts himself and stayed quiet, nibbling at some cereal he poured himself.  He was thinking of going to help with the cleanup if they wanted some. It was the least he could do after the damages they had caused the night before. That was his plan for the day.  Probably without the uniform he could pass incognito for a few days.

Hopefully.

He grabbed a newspaper, glad someone thought of getting some paper ones. He loved tablets and computer but he still felt better with paper in his hand. His stomach clenched at the pictures of the destruction but forced himself to finish eating.  

He went out a few hours later, a cap pulled low on his eyes, looking for some sort of hint that they accept volunteers to help.

He finally found the first responders a few blocks over. It was obvious that the only reason they let him help with finding the survivors still stuck in the wreckage, or to help lift heavy concrete slabs, was because they recognised him.

He could live with that. They didn’t look starstruck, they didn’t ask for autographs. They mostly seemed relieved to see him show up to help.  And that’s what he did. Day after day. Before collapsing in his bed at night.

Steve stuck with that schedule for nearly a month.  Get up early. Go uptown. Do what he could, then home and collapse before doing it again the next day.

One morning, Bruce had shown up at his apartment. Steve had been surprised.  He hadn’t even known the doctor had stayed in New York. They hadn’t really talked before or after the fight.

“Good morning,” was all he said, looking at Steve expectantly.

“Um, good morning, Doctor Banner.”

Steve blinked at Bruce and shook his head. “Is anything the matter? Can I do anything for you?”

“I think it’s more what I can do for you.  Or what I did. Because it was either me or Tony showing up this morning and I left early enough that I’m pretty sure he hasn’t noticed yet.  I was probably the best choice.”

Steve frowned again. “What exactly are you talking about?”

“You need to relax. And I doubt Tony’s methods would help. Because from what I remember from my research, alcohol does nothing for you.”

“I’m fine.”

“Steve, we’ve all seen you work yourself to the bone these last few weeks.”

“Really, I’m fine.”

“Humour me?”

Steve shrugged. What harm could it do?

“What did you have in mind?”

“You’ll see,” was the only answer he got.

The walked quietly a few blocks down the streets, stopping in front of one of the old meat packing plant that Steve still remembered as bustling with work. He never got a job there but it wasn’t for any lack of trying.  These days, it seems all the first floors had been transformed as either restaurants or stores, while the higher floors had become apartments, condos or loft.

Bruce lead him to a small, nondescript  storefront. Steve hesitated briefly before stepping inside.

Steve didn’t know what he was expecting But he was pretty sure he wasn’t expecting this.

The space was bigger than he expected or what he was used to.  It was big and open, with two doors at the back and two hidden doors between the bookshelves.  He assumed they were books wrapped in brown paper. The bookshelves boasted “Blind Date with a Book” on a colourful banner. He made a note to check it out later.

In front of the windows were scattered big, comfortable looking chairs and tables.  The counter and displays covered the length of the back wall. There was a man standing there. Steve assumed he was a worker.  He immediately caught his eyes.

It wasn’t so much the man himself, not that Steve hadn’t noticed just how well he filled out his shirt or how the ice blue eyes were the warmest eyes he’s seen, but mostly because of what he was carrying around his shoulders.

There was a huge orange cat draped around his shoulders. And that’s when Steve noticed there were more cats lying around or investigating.  Steve wasn’t sure what to think. Was this even sanitary?

He looked around more thoroughly. His eyes landed on Bruce and he wasn’t sure what face he was making but the other man cracked a smile.

“I know.  I felt the same way when I found this place.”

“What is this place?” Steve asked, a little confused.

“It’s the Purrfect Brew,” a warm voice said, amused.

Steve didn’t need to look to know the guy was smiling.  He turned to face him and his breath almost caught at the smile.

“It’s a cat cafe.”

“Really? A cat cafe?”

“I know, right?  It’s probably the only dumb Brooklyn Hipster trend I can get behind,” he paused, then smiled again. “Mostly because it pays the rent.”

Doctor Banner chuckled and the other man turned to him.

“Hey there, doc.  Your usual?”

“Yes, thank you. Steve, this is James, the owner of the Purrfect Brew.  James, this is Steve, a friend and a coworker.”

James smiled at him and Steve automatically smiled back.

“Don’t listen to him. I don’t answer to James, unless you’re my mother and I’m in trouble.  Call me Bucky.”

He spoke quietly, the Brooklyn accent colouring his voice and bringing Steve back to his childhood.

“What do you want?”

Steve blinked. “What do you have that doesn’t have coffee in it?”

Bucky finally handed Bruce his usual and turned to give Steve a look. “I make the best coffee in Brooklyn, according to Kate here,” he points to a young lady at another table, “and you don’t want my coffee?”

Bucky gave him a speculative look.  “No coffee for health concern or just for the taste? I know I’m not suppose to ask but it’ll narrow down what I suggest.”

“I used to have them, yes,” Steve shrugged. “Not anymore but I never liked coffee.”

Bucky nodded. “I have something in mind if you don’t mind caffeine.”

Steve shook his head. “Just the taste of coffee, I swear.”

Bucky nodded then moved to make his drink. “New in town?”

Steve shook his head, then nodded. “Kind of?  I’ve been away for a long time. Still not used to the changes.”

Bucky nodded. “My grandma’s the same when she visits. She grew up in Brooklyn and she gets confused when she visits.”

Steve nodded, shifting a little awkwardly.

“Not that I want to compare you to a 90 year old but the idea is there,” he paused. “So, how many tours?”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “More than you, I’m sure.”

Bucky grinned. “I’m naturally nosy. It’s why I’m so good at this job.  Also my twin sister is a vet. I can see some of the same mannerism you have that she had when she came back. Sometimes she still have them too.”

Steve nodded absently, scratching the ears of the cat that had come closer to investigate the new smell.  It was missing a leg but seemed quite nimble anyway, flowing through Steve’s fingers as he wants, directing where he wanted Steve’s scritches.

Steve had noticed the cat guide on the counter and finally leaned in to look at it.

“You really named a three-legged cat ‘Hopalong Cassidy’?”

Bucky grinned. “My favourite books growing up were my grandma’s old pulp magazines.  It’s an honour!”

“Huh huh,” Steve laughed softly. “So, why Bucky? How does one get Bucky from James?”

“One does not get Bucky from James. One does get Bucky from Buchanan which is my middle name,” Bucky said, finishing the drink.

“Your parents named you James Buchanan? After the president?”

“No. My parents gave me Buchanan after my grandma’s maiden name, Dorothy Buchanan.”

“Oh, good. Because I’d have to wonder about them. And you. Since you’re making my drink.” Steve winked and then winced. “Sorry.”

Bucky laughed. “Oh, don’t be! That was great!”

He handed Steve his drink and motionned to the huge cat laying in the sun.

“That’s Crookshanks. From Harry Potter,” he added at Steve’s blank look.

“I haven’t read that yet.”

“Have you been living under a rock? Even my sister read it.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. “It’s on the list.  I’ve been out of commission for awhile.”

Bucky nodded slowly. “Right.  That’s a chai, by the way. All the kick of caffeine without the coffee taste.”

Steve smiled at him nodding as he paid and headed out to sit with Bruce, Hopalong following behind.

***

Bucky watched him go and settle in, Hopalong settling in on his lap.

He bit his lip, watching him get comfortable. He was annoyingly familiar to Bucky.  He leaned on the counter, trying not to stare at Steve. He could always google him instead of staring at him like he had the answer to everything.

He was so engrossed, he didn’t notice Maddie coming up behind him.

She waited for a bit before rolling her eyes and poking him in the ribs, enjoying the yelp.

“You enjoyed that way too much,” he grumbled, rubbing his side.

Only the closest clients had heard him at least.  Not even the cats had been bothered. Small favours.

Bucky sighed. “Are you already done with your homework? I know it used to take me a lot longer than that.”

She rolled her eyes again. “No, Dad.”

He made a face at that.  “Just wanted a snack. And apparently look at you drool over a beefcake.”

Bucky nudged her to the side and get her the usual.  “Go eat, finish your homework. And stop watching movies from before you were born.”

He paused. “And you have a girlfriend, stop oogling boys. That’s mine!”

She scoffed. “Doesn’t mean I can’t watch!”

Bucky rolled his eyes and turned back around, jumping a little when he saw Steve had snuck up on him.

“Everything ok?” he asked Bucky.

Bucky stared for a bit, really hoping that he hadn’t heard anything.

“Oh, yeah. Just annoying little sisters, you know how it goes.”

“Not really. I’m an only child.”  
  
“Lucky bastard.  Anyway,” he continued, “do you want anything else?”

Steve waved his hand at the bookshelves. “What are those for?”

“Oh! Our matchmaking business!” He grinned at the look on Steve’s face.

“Basically you have a bunch of books, wrapped in paper, with a description on it.  Put in the amount you want in the box and pick one. Money goes to cat upkeep exclusively. You’re welcome to leave some books too if you have some.  Most of these, though, comes from Evie and Maddie.”

Steve looked back at the bookshelves, finally deciding to move to the bookshelves to see what was around.  

“Okay, so who’s the snark and who’s the literary essay?”

Bucky grinned. “Maggie, the teenager you just saw, is the middle one, the long winded one.  Evie, the younger one, is the one that speaks two language, English and Sarcasm, and can’t be bothered to write full sentences. The yellow tag is Evie and the green tag is Maggie.  The pink tags are other clients like you.”

Steve studied them carefully.  There were a dozen or so, colour tags mixed up through the shelves in between pictures of cats. He finally picked up a yellow tagged book (the tag read “Meet me at the library and we’ll borrow an adventure”) and a green tagged one (that read “Cambridge professors.  Victorian, England. Shenanigans and rugby. A gentle awakening to new possibilities. And a proper cup of tea”).

He couldn’t even begin to guess and he was intrigued.

He came back to the counter, smiling a little shyly as he holds out his mug. “That was really good. Can I have one to go?”

Bucky glanced at him and nodded. “Of course. Keep in mind to check out Harry Potter too.”

Steve grinned and waved his little notebook. “Already took note of it.”

“Don’t watch the movies before reading the books. Promise me,” Bucky demanded, handing Steve his drink.

"All right, all right I won’t watch the movie before reading the books.”  
  
“Promise me.”

“I promise, Bucky.”

“Thank you,” Bucky said, enjoying the way Steve said his name.

Steve grinned and saluted him before leaving. Bucky watched him go and he was suddenly glad he was alone behind the counter.

“Hate to see him go, love to watch him leave, right?”

Bucky jumped as an arm dropped around his shoulders.  He heaved a sigh.

"How much of that did you see? And how much is it going to cost me to get you to never mention it?”

“Just a name for now.”

Bucky shot her a look. “Just a name.”

“For now, anyway.”

“So, that’s how much rope you’re giving me to hang myself?”

“Name, Bucky, or I’m posting on the cafe facebook page to find out his name.”

“It’s Steve,” he mumbled.

“That’s what I thought.  You really should have paid more attention in history class.”

She moved Biggles, the black and white cat, sitting on the counter, waiting for some attention and spread out Maggie’s history book before pointing at something.

“What’s this?” He asked, irritated and cradling Biggles in his arms.

“Look at this,” she said, reaching out to pet the cat in apology.

Bucky looked closer and noticed it was the WWII unit.

“Yeah, okay, I know all about Captain America.”

“Apparently not. Doesn’t he look familiar? I mean it’s _Steve_ Rogers.”

“It’s Captain America, we had his poster on our bedroom walls.  Of course he looks familiar!”

If Bucky hadn’t known his sister that well, he would have have assumed at the look she gave him was a pity look.  He knew better though and he could tell it was her “My brother is an idiot” look.

He moved to give a refill to Kate.

“Becca, stop it with the mind games.”

There was a terrifyingly long pause.  Bucky couldn’t bring himself to hope that that was it.  He hadn't lived with her for years now but he knew that she was probably looking for the most embarrassing way to put into words what exactly she was thinking.

“You were staring longingly at Captain America’s Ass.  I mean, it’s a great ass, don’t get me wrong…”

“Becca,” he cut her off. “Captain America died in 1945. The guy we saw a few weeks ago? was not born in 1918. Neither was this guy.”

She gave him the same look as earlier. 

“I still have contacts in the intelligence community.”  
  
“I don’t care if you have contacts in the White House!”

He shot her a look. “Becca, that’s Steve. Not Steve Rogers.  Probably like Steve Smith or something.”

She just rolled her eyes.

Kate just grinned, typing on her phone. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

Bucky shook his head, let Becca take her shift and made the rounds.

When he was done, he made his way to the back where Maddie was studying and checking on the new arrivals.

“The Avenge-Cats are settling in really well, by the way,” Maddie said, as soon as he came in the back.

She grinned at the look on his face.

“So is it true? You were drooling all over Steve Rogers?”  
  
“Was Becca texting you instead of working again?”

He isn’t sure why he’s surprised anymore.

Maddie grinned again.  “Did you really expect anything else?”

“That Steve Rogers died in 1945.”

She gently lifted the sleeping cat off her laptop and showed him the screen.

“According to the internet, it is THAT Steve Rogers.  The Serum…”

“The serum did not make him immortal, no matter how magic it was.”

She gave him a look and turned back to her computer, the cat cradled on her lap.

“Want to make it a bet?”

“You’re too young to bet,” Bucky said automatically.

“Fuck you, Bucky. What are you, chicken?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes but didn’t answer right away.  He knew better than to mouth off too easily.

“What are the terms?” Bucky asked, a little too casually.

She saw right through it and smirked, a little too victorious.  Bucky was instantly on edge, wondering what she knew that he didn’t. But a small part of him was hoping that he was that Steve Rogers, even if it meant losing the bet.

“If he is that Steve Rogers, you get me the tablet I want.  If he isn’t, I’ll cover any shift you want.”

That was a big concession on her part.  He was surprised. She mostly took only a few weekend shift in an emergency, because of her extracurriculars and classes. That’s what made him pause. If she was bargaining the little free time she did have, she knew something he didn’t.

But, in the end, that didn’t stop him. He was a sucker.  He held out his hand to his sister.

“Deal.”

She grinned as she shook  his hand. Yep, he was a sucker.

***

Steve knew he was being ridiculous. But he couldn’t bring himself to go back to the cafe the day after.  So for a few days, he went back to his routine of helping clean up the streets. But he was more antsy than he usually was.

He was pretty sure the rest of the team had noticed, but fortunately for him, Natasha had been recalled to Washington and Clint had followed her, muttering something about having her six at all time. He knew they were hiding something but it wasn’t like he knew them enough to ask what it was.

Fury  had asked him to join one of the SHIELD teams but he wasn’t sure yet.  He didn’t trust Fury, he certainly didn’t trust SHIELD and he wasn’t sure he could work for him.  Steve made it his goal to figure out people’s agenda if they wanted him. BUt he had yet to figure out Fury’s.

He finally shook it out of himself and finally went to the cafe on the following tuesday.  He could probably get away with showing up without looking like that creepy stalker.

He was hoping that Bruce hadn’t chosen that day to show up too.  He pushed open the door and glanced around, ignoring the disappointment that pinged in his chest when he saw it was a woman behind the counter.

He stepped up to the counter anyway.  The woman smiled at him and he finally noticed the resemblance to Bucky.  So one of the famous sisters. Probably the oldest.

“Hi, there. Welcome to the Purrfect Brew, is this your first time?”

Steve shook his head. “Second time actually.”  
  
She nodded. “Of course. Steve right? Who managed to tame Hopalong.” She grinned when the cat in question came over to get some attention.

“He tends to keep to himself most of the time. I’m surprised he got close to someone.

She smiled again. “You had a chai last night.”

Steve blinked at her.  “You guys gossip about all your customers like that?” he asked not sure if he should be surprised.

“Only the ones that make an impression.  And those we’re hoping come back.”

Steve blushed. “Was Bucky hoping I’d come back?”

Becca laughed. “Oh you should ask him that. I’m Becca by the way.”

Steve smiled at the laugh. “It’s nice to meet you. And yes, I’ll have another chai.”

She nodded and went to make his drink.  “Oh and be careful. We just introduced a few kittens to the cafe.  They’re fine but Hawkeye likes to fall on people and Cap like to climb up pants.”

Steve blinked up at her and frowned, hand halfway to the cat on the counter.

“You have a cat named Hawkeye? And Cap?”

Becca snorted.  “We have a ten year old sister.  We’re caring for six new kittens a few weeks ago.  She started calling them avengecats. And it stuck.”

“So you named them after the avengers,” he didn’t ask.

“Yes, we named them after you guys.”  
  
Steve tried to look innocent.

“Did that look ever work on anyone?  Because it’s not working for me,” Becca said, handing him his drink.  “No one will bother you here. Except maybe for Evie. But she’s 10, adorable and could get away with murder.”

Steve grinned. “I’ll remember.”  
  
“Let me know if you need anything else. I’m on shift for about an hour before Bucky’s back.” 

Steve managed to swallow a smile at that but Becca grinned anyway, gave him a cookie and waved him off. “Never become a spy, Rogers.”

He laughed and went to sit down in the same seat as the last time he was there. He had to move Hopalong who had jumped up just before him and barely had time to put down his sketchbook before Hopalong jumped up and crawled on his lap for attention. He sighed but smiled, scratching his ears with his free hand.  Cats.

***

Bucky was late.  He knew it. He also knew that Becca was going to kill him. He panted  as he ran to the cafe thinking that he really should get in shape. Because this was ridiculous.

He ran through the door and leaned against the wall, panting heavily. After a bit, he blinked away the black spots and grabbed bottle of water that was handed to him.

After taking a few gulps he finally looked up from his spot where he had slid down the wall.  He opened up his mouth to thank his sister but his mouth had suddenly gone dry. It wasn’t his sister. No, she was glaring at him from behind the counter.  It wasn’t any of his sisters, because that would have been less embarrassing. It was Steve. Steve who was wearing a blue shirt that brought out his eyes. Steve who looked good enough to eat.

“You’re back,” he croaked, then flushed and drank more water.

Steve grinned a little more and held out his hand to Bucky,  pulling him up. Bucky wasn’t really expecting that much strength and turned a deeper shade of red as he collided with Steve’s chest.  He looked up at Steve, ready to apologize but yelping instead. Hawkeye had jumped and missed his chance, tumbling instead inside Bucky’s hoodie.

“Hawkeye,” he sighed, dropping his head to Steve’s chest, grumbling.

Bucky felt more than saw Steve chuckle and he blushed more when he realised he was still clutching Steve.  He felt Steve reach into his hood and pull out the kitten. That’s when he finally pulled away.

Bucky started at Steve cradling the cat to his chest and he felt a pang of envy.  He really wanted to apologize again but Becca nudged him.

“If I’m late, you’re going to pay dearly.”

She headed out after that and he made a face and sighed.

Bucky moved behind the counter, refreshing Kate and America’s coffee before making one for himself.

Steve followed him, still cradling the cat. Bucky was trying really hard not to stare but it was hard. Fortunately most of the customers were busy working and studying. Well, most of them. Kate and America were busy texting and giggling and Bucky was pretty sure it was to his sisters about him. It should worry him but he just couldn’t look away from Steve long enough.

At least he had finally let the kitten go.

“So the Avenger cats?” Steve asked with what Bucky  hoped was amusement.

“My little sister has an odd sense of humour,” Bucky  answered with a sigh.

“So now we’ve got Cap who like to climb people. Hawkeye who likes to fall on people. Well we don’t know if he means to or not. Starky falls asleep on anything that’s hot and electronic.” Bucky just shook his head. “The other three are more… normal.”

Steve was laughing by the end of the little speech and Bucky grinned. It was the first time he had heard Steve laugh and he liked it a lot.

“So did you enjoy the books you got last time?” He asked, changing the subject a little.

“Oh yeah! Both of them! It wasn’t really what I was expecting but it was a nice surprised. And I have the time to start the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Steve paused and frowned. “I tried to find the actual version but I couldn’t find anywhere in town.”

Bucky smiled. “Maddie has the actual British version. I’ll bring you the first one If you want. The rest of them should be fine.”

Steve nodded. “Thank you.”

“Wait… did you actually spend all weekend reading?”

Steve shrugged. “I helped with the city clean up too.”

Bucky just stared for a bit. “You don’t go out?  You help clean up, you read and looking at you, I’m guessing you train?”

“I draw!”

"You draw for fun?”

“Sure. I’d show you but…” Steve waved his hand at Hopalong who was still sleeping on the sketchbook.

Bucky grinned. “That’s what cats do.”

Steve smiles again. “Anyway I’m not used to having free time.”

“So you keep busy?”

“Pretty much yeah.”

Bucky paused at that. “There are movies too if you liked the books.”

Steve perked up at that. Bucky hates how cute he thought that was.

“Really? Movies?”

“If you want, you can watch them with me. I’ve got them all.”

Steve tilted his head at him, suddenly looking serious. “Really?”

And then he winced. Apparently, he still couldn’t talk to people he found attractive.

“Sure why not?” Bucky was busy wiping the counter and Steve was glad to see he hadn’t noticed.

“We might end up with all three of my sisters. They love the movies.”

Steve smiled, hiding the pang of disappointment.

“That’d be great, Bucky.”

Bucky smiled back at him, wondering why he mentioned his sisters. He almost facepalmed himself.

“Maybe I can ask them not to come. I’d owe them though.”

“No no. It’s ok. I’m an only child. It’s just different.”

Bucky shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. You will regret this but all right.”

Steve grinned and checked the time. He really should get going. But he wasn’t ready.

“You have to go?” Bucky asked.

“I should. I’ve taken too much of your time.”

“As long as I can still work, you’re not bothering me.  And I can still work.”

Even Bucky could hear how desperate he sounded and he was worried Steve could too.  But it was true, he had been taking orders and doing his usual tasks while talking to Steve. Even he had taken to absently petting any cat that came to him, barely wincing when Cap decided to climb up his legs.

“How about I give you my number?” Bucky peered at him.  “You do have a cell right?”

Bucky was only half-teasing.  He still didn’t think his sisters were right but Steve was slightly strange. Which added to his charm really.

Steve half-hesitated before nodding and handing over his cell. Bucky grinned as he typed in his number and sent himself a text.

“There.  Now I can bother you anytime I want.”

Steve laughed. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be bothering you more.”

Bucky grinned. “Doubt it.  Now go and we can make plans later. Mostly on how to hide this from my sisters.”

Steve managed to steal his sketchbook back from Hopalong and left, waving at Bucky through the window.

Bucky watched him go. He was so proud of himself. He had managed to wait until Steve was gone before doing his victory dance.  He ignored Kate’s laugh and told himself she was totally not filming him (she was). He finished his day with a grin on his face.

***

It had taken a few days for both Bucky and Steve to get the courage to text each other.  But Bucky had found his first (and he wouldn’t lord it over Steve… Much.)

It had just taken a few hours for Bucky to feel like he was talking to someone he knew for years instead of days.  It was like talking to an old friend. For a few days, that had been the only contact they’ve been having, Steve being busy with Avengers Media tours.

He looked at Hopalong Cassidy, who look forlornly at the door. “I know, I know.  I miss him too.”

He did snap a few pictures of the cat and sent him to Steve. “He misses you.”

It took a few hours for Steve to answer back (press conference, Bucky knew). “I’ll make to come make the rounds when I can.  I miss him too.”

Bucky had seen him throughout the week, doing either interviews or press conferences with Tony.  And his sisters were annoying with the bet and, while he would never admit it to them, he was starting to think they were right.

They had managed to narrow down the next Friday night to watch the movies though.  The best idea Steve had had was to do the movie night at his place instead of Bucky’s since there was less chance of his sisters dropping in, since they didn’t know where Steve lived.  He had sent Bucky his address and he guarded his phone terribly close so that his sisters didn’t have the chance to look through it. It didn’t matter what his lock code was, one of his sisters always managed to get in and he still had no clue who. (His own personal bet was on Evie, the kid was too smart for her own good.)

He had finally shown up during the next weekend, staying for a few hours to give cuddles to Hopalong and Cap who decided he was his favourite human to climb since he was so much taller than any of his sisters and himself.

“You know, you could adopt Cap,” Maddie said, one afternoon as he plucked him off his jeans.

“I don’t know, sometimes I may have to leave sometimes if we need the Avengers again.”

"I’m sure Bucky would love to catsit,” Evie piped up, grinning.

“Stop teasing your brother, dear,” Winifred, who had come to visit that day, said, smiling at Steve.

Bucky grumbled under his breath, low enough that Steve couldn’t hear but Steve smiled. “Maybe if he doesn’t mind.”

“Of course he doesn’t!” Winifred grinned. “If he does, I have no problem doing it.”  
  
“Mom, you just told Evie to stop teasing me.”

Winifred shrugged. “I’m not teasing, just stating facts.”

“Huh huh.”

The end of the afternoon didn’t come soon enough even if it meant Steve had to leave.

***

Steve was nervous.  Very nervous. He knew his apartment was spotless, but that might not be a good thing. It didn't look like anyone lived there. He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face before trying to make it more lived-in.  He had about an hour to go before Bucky was coming over and he had everything ready so now he was mostly just spiraling. He dropped his arms and let out a deep breath, grabbing his phone to check to make sure Bucky hadn’t cancelled last minute.  He hadn’t. Steve wasn’t sure if he was happy or not about that.

That’s not true.  He was happy he was still coming. He had snacks enough for both of them and Bucky was bringing dinner. But at the same time, he was so nervous he almost didn’t want to go through with it.

Fed up with the silence he finally turned on his tv and actually got suckered into some reality show.  Some of them weren’t so bad. He liked the cooking ones anyway, and the house renovations ones. But he had to admit, the true crimes ones were probably his favourite. He wasn’t sure why, but he always got sucked into some sort of true crime show and this time wasn’t any different.

The knock on the door eventually dragged him out of the show he was watching.  He checked his phone and frowned when he saw one text from Bucky that read: “I’m sorry.”

He headed to the door and was asking why he was sorry to bucky at the same time before opening the door.

“I thought you weren’t coming!” Steve exclaimed when he saw Bucky standing there with his arms full.

He reached out to grab the boxes and finally saw Becca grinning next to him.

“I’m sorry about her,” Bucky grumbled.

“I’m not that embarrassing, am I? Besides I’m not crashing a date, so we’re good,” Becca said, stepping inside when Steve moved out of the way, motioning for both of them to get in.

“Maybe not but there’s a reason I didn’t invite you,” Bucky shot back.

Becca shrugged. “Stealing the Potter dvd from my room is an invite.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “He said the DVDs were his.”

“I did not.  I just said I had them. We bought them as a family. I’m just glad it wasn’t Evie or Maddie that had them.”

Steve just shook his head but waved them both in. “Make yourselves at home. You’re lucky I got a lot of snacks, Becca.”

Becca grinned. “Thank you Steve. He’s been grumbling all the way. Especially when you didn’t answer his texts.”

Steve flushed a little. “I got sucked in a show but that’s not important. Let’s get comfortable yeah?”

Bucky was already in the living room pulling the food and movies out.  He frowned a little at the lack of personal stuff but maybe he just kept everything in his room. He wasn’t going to snoop. He was not.

“Steve, come on let’s get this show on the road.”

Steve chuckles and made his way to the living room. “I’m coming!”

They settled down, the movie already starting as they started digging in the food that they had bought.  

The more they watched, Steve frowned more. Bucky and Becca glanced at each other and Bucky smothered a grin. “Really, Steve? Did you really expect everything to be the same?”

Steve sighed. “No, I guess not. But they got most of the characters all wrong.”

He turned to Bucky. “Thank you for making me read the books first.”

Becca swallowed a laugh as Bucky flushed a little, still not used to Steve giving him all his attention. “I can have good ideas sometimes too, you know.”

Becca snorted. “Rarely. I have stories that could last us until Sunday nights that proves otherwise.”

Steve paused the movie and turned to face Becca. “Care to share?”

Becca grinned and Bucky squawked. “Becca, no!”

“Becca, yes!” she replied and started laughing.

“How about the time he broke both his arms jumping on the couch and missing it by a mile? Or the time he crawled  under the balcony to get the cat who was so fat, we still have no clue how she got under it to start with? He almost managed to break his leg that time.  The time he did manage to break his leg though was when he decided to walk the dog on his skateboard and went flying when it hit a rock.”

Steve snorted. “Not all at the same time I hope.”

Bucky mumbled.  “The leg thing was the same week.”

Steve laughed again, shaking his head and Becca grinned. “Let’s continue the movies and I’ll think of more to tell you.”

"You will do no such thing or I’ll tell him about you.”

“He doesn’t want to know about me, brother dearest.”  
  
“Of course he does!” He turned to face Steve, who was flushing. “Right?” 

“Um sure?” Steve was sure he didn’t sound convincing and at the laugh Becca let out, they noticed it too.

“Um right,” Bucky paused but smiled to himself as he turned back to the TV, moving closer to Steve on the couch, trying to make it accidental.  Steve didn’t move away and Bucky high fived himself in his mind.

They made it all the way through the fourth movie.

“What the hell is that?”

“We know, Steve, we know.” Bucky tried to soothe him. “We all felt the same way.”

“There’s no… what. the. hell?”

Becca nodded. “A true potterhead. Next thing we’ll know he’ll have stayed up all night reading fanfiction.”

Steve opened his mouth to speak but Bucky stopped him. “How about we explain that when we’re not half drunk and tired?”

Bucky wasn’t drunk. He was pleasantly buzzed and leaning against Steve and really he didn’t want to move. Especially not if it was only for Steve to discover fandom. They’ll have plenty of time for that later.

They started the fifth movie a while later, after Steve ranted for a bit more about the books. They settled in to watch and Bucky let his mind drift since he didn’t especially like this movie.

Some muffled bang echoed through the apartment and he sat up, glancing at the movie. They weren’t at the ministry yet so he wasn’t sure what had just happened but both Becca and Steve had stood.

Steve had grabbed his shield and damn he wished he had seen that.  Becca had a gun in her hand and that he wanted to know where the thing came from.

Another muffled bang echoed and Steve had just the time to jump in front of him with his shield up when he heard a ping echo on the shield.

“Was that…?  Did someone shoot through your window?” Bucky sounded a little hysterical to his own ears and he hated himself for it.  

Steve moved closer to the window. “Stay close, Buck.” He was holding the shield in front of him and raised it suddenly, Bucky ducking behind his back as he heard another ping.

He couldn’t see Becca anymore and he had a brief moment of panic until he heard gunshot coming  from the other window. He let out a relieved breath when he saw Becca returning fire and poked Steve.

“Why don’t you have a gun? And why does my sister have one?”

“Bucky, it’s not really the time for question,” Becca replied. It had been quiet for awhile and they all jumped when they heard the knock at the door.

They stared at each other and Steve finally called out that it was opened.

The door was kicked open and three people stumbled inside.  Bucky didn’t recognize any of them but Becca straightened up as soon as she saw them.

“Agent Romanov, agent Barton.”

“Agent Barnes, report,” the blond man replied, holding his bow in front of him.

She opened her mouth to do so but another shot rang out and all six of them threw themselves to the ground.

“Natasha, what are you doing here?” Steve asked at the same time as Bucky asked his sister, “Agent Barnes? What the fuck, Becks?”

Natasha came closer, sitting next to Steve and Bucky, who almost cowered back at the look she gave him but then she turned to Steve.

“I was undercover for Fury with a rogue faction working inside of SHIELD to undermine the organization.  He knew that there was someone working against him and sent me in. They gave me a handler. He was wearing this when I killed him.”

She handed him a black badge with a red mark on it and Bucky leaned closer to look at it.

“That’s a hydra patch,” Bucky said, confused.

“Hydra died with the red skull,” Steve said, flatly.

“According to Zola, it just grew inside SHIELD,” Clint said, looking out the window but not shooting anything.

“We have proof.  We need to get to either Stark Tower or one of the SHIELD offices in town. We can’t risk going back to DC.”

Steve nodded. “All right. What do you want to do exactly?”

Natasha grinned. “Expose all their dirty little secrets.”

She held up a thumb drive. “This is going to the media. Government officials we can trust and the internet.”

Becca grinned. “Bucky can help with the media and internet.”

They all turned to him and he shrugged. “I did a degree in media studies. I still have some contacts among classmates.”

Steve nodded and glanced out the window. “OK so me, Clint and…” he paused turning to the black man that came in with Natasha and Clint. “Um I’m sorry. I’m Steve and you are…?”

He grinned at Steve and held out his hand. “I’m Sam. It’s nice to meet you, man.”

Clint grinned. “Sam can fly.”

Steve blinked. “OK. Cool. Well call in Tony, and get us three and Tony against whoever is out there.”

Natasha frowned. “It’s the Winter Soldier.”

“The Winter Soldier doesn’t exist. He’s like the boogeyman for tiny baby assassins,” Clint said with the exasperation of a man who’s had this argument a million times.

Sam just rolled his eyes. “They’ve been arguing about this since this morning.”

Bucky frowned and pulled out his phone. “If you know where to look on the internet, there are rumours about the Winter Soldier but they all say it’s a woman.”

Natasha nodded and Clint just threw his hands in the air.

Steve just shook his head and pulled out his phone to text Stark. “OK, I’m going to want to know later. But for now, we’re going after the Winter Soldier.  Natasha, Becca and Bucky are going to disseminate the files.”

Bucky frowned. “Can’t I just do it from like home?”

He wasn’t afraid per se. But there’s a reason his sister was a vet and a Shield agent while he was a baker.

Becca shook her head. “I’d rather you be with me. With grandma being who she is, I’m not leaving you alone.”

Bucky frowned. “What?”

“Not the time, Bucky. But Grandma was one of the SHIELD founders,” Becca said, checking her phone at a ding. “Mom and dad have the girls and they’re going to grandma’s so they’ll be safe.”

Bucky opened his mouth to ask a question then closed it and just went to check on some of his classmates, finding a couple on big new network that needed a push for a big story.

They all jumped at the sound of something getting close to the window and three guns, an arrow and a shield snapped into place while Bucky just ducked down behind Steve’s back.  He was starting to feel a little naked with no weapon but it wasn’t like he could be of much use with one anyway.

He glanced over his shoulder when no gunshot came and blinked when he saw Iron Man floating in the window.

“So what exactly is going on?”

Bucky handed over the flash drive when Steve nudged at him so Tony could upload it himself.  “Huh.” He paused. “Come to the tower it’ll be safer and JARVIS can help.”

Bucky gaped while Natasha and Becca shrugged. “Bucky will be dealing with that and the media.”

He nodded a little.  “Yeah okay. Half demolished Stark tower. Why not?”

Steve turned to him. “You okay with this?”

Bucky looked at him. “You’re really that Steve Rogers aren’t you?”

Steve nodded, smiling a little. “Yeah I’m that Steve Rogers, born in 1918.”

Bucky groaned and Steve looked a little worried. “What is it?”  
  
“Dammit I owe Maddie a new tablet.”

Becca laughed. “She’ll be happy to hear that.”

Steve smiled a little. “Be careful, OK?  We’ll make sure that the Soldier’s attention is on us while you guys head out to the tower.”

Bucky nodded and, in a burst of inspiration, pulled Steve in to press his lips against Steve’s. “You owe me a real date after all this,” he whispered against his lips and Steve nodded, chuckling soft.

“Come on, lovebirds, let’s get this over with.  All three of you have access to the personal floor up top,” Stark said. “Let’s go see if we can get this mythical Winter Soldier.”

Natasha and Becca nodded. Natasha handed Steve and Bucky coms unit, before grabbing Bucky, heading out the door.

Steve looked back at the door before turning to the others. “All right let’s do this as quick as possible.  I’m pretty sure the Soldier is on the other building right in front. Tony, Sam you guys fly there and find him. Clint and I will follow.”  
  
“Hai, hai, Cap.”  They flew out and Clint and Steve made their way out.  They didn’t have any bullets coming at them anymore and it worried Steve that he had moved on.

Meanwhile, Natasha and Becca lead Bucky through the shadows while he thumbed on the tablet that Natasha had given him, looking at the Hydra files.

He paused as he got to a file labeled PC Project. He frowned and flicked through it before almost dropping the tablet and swearing loudly in the empty street.  Natasha looked back at him, Becca scouting farther ahead.

“What is it?” She half-whispered.

“Did you look through this?”

“Just picked through it quickly enough to get the gist.”

“There’s a file on the Winter Soldier.”  
  
“What is it about?”  
  
“Real ID. They were right. It is a woman.”  
  
He handed the file to Natasha and she blinked at it before looking up at Bucky.  “We can’t tell him.”  
  
“We have to tell him!”

Becca was running back finally. “What’s going on?”

“The Winter Soldier exists. And  we know who it is,” Bucky said, glaring at Natasha.

Becca looked at the tablet and whistled.  “You gonna tell him?”  
  
“Not right now or he’ll be distracted.”

“We’re not putting this on the net either,” Bucky said.

Natasha reluctantly nodded. “OK, we’ll ask JARVIS to make sure all the references to the Winter and.. her are taken out of the upload.”  
  
Bucky and Becca nodded and resumed their trek to the tower, managing to avoid the two HYDRA groups patrolling Brooklyn, arriving at the tower pretty quickly.

***

Steve groaned as he hit another wall from where the soldier had thrown him. They had been right, it was a woman. She was wearing a mask and he couldn’t tell who shewas but he hoped he could get through to her.

He stood up slowly, just in time to see one of Clint’s arrow hit the metal arm of the woman.  It didn’t do much even with the EMP it emitted and she made her way to Steve.

They were pretty much at even strength, she a little better, but he could hold his own even with no shield.  His mother must be rolling in her grave, watching him hit a woman this way, but it wasn’t like he had any choice in the matter.

He didn’t want to kill her. So he kept his blows to non life threatening areas of her body, unlike her.

He finally managed to grab a hold of her and threw her into a wall. She laid there, dazed.

Steve grabbed his shield and walked slowly to her, trying to see if she’s knocked out or not. He watched her shift and looked at the mask falling to the ground, taking a deep breath as he looked back up at her face.

He paused when he saw that face. It.. it couldn’t be. “Peggy?” He croaked falling to his knees next to her.

“Peggy, they said you were dead.” He gently brushed the hair off her forehead and felt a metal hand grab his wrist tightly. He winced as she used it as a lever to pull herself up.

“Who on Earth is Peggy?” She growled, pushing him away hard.

He tumbled back and just as he was about to stand up, the echo of an explosion rippled through his comm. He winced and pulled it out of his ear, blinking when he saw Peggy had taken those precious few seconds to escape. He jammed his comm back in.

“What the hell just happened? And someone better not have known about Peggy Carter and not told me.”

There was silence for a bit before Maria Hill’s voice came on the comms.  “You know what’s pretty in the night sky? Exploding helicarriers. And what’s this about Peggy Carter?”

“She was the Winter Soldier.”  
  
There was another longer silence and Steve growled louder.  “We just found out like you Steve,” came Bucky’s soothing voice. “It’s in the files we uploaded.  But we made sure all references to her wasn’t made public.”

Steve rubbed his face. “She wouldn’t willingly work for them.  She didn’t know who she was. She didn’t know who I was.”

Bucky winced as he listened to Steve and rubbed his face. “Come to the tower. Natasha knows.  It was all in Russian.”

Steve nodded. “She escaped. I need… I need to look for her.”  
  
“Not tonight, Steve,” Natasha interrupted.  “We need to lay low until the heat dies down. She’s going to do the same.”

“All right. I… We’ll be there soon.”

Bucky dropped to his seat, looking at the translated files in front of him.  “This just sound like it’s out of novel.”

Becca stared at him. “You’re in love with a 93 year old.”

Bucky frowned. “No. He’s 27. The ice years don’t count.”

Becca turned to Natasha. “Have you noticed he didn’t deny being in love?”

Natasha smiled a little. “Well, at least that’ll stop me from trying to find Steve a girlfriend.”

Becca snorted and shook her head.

Bucky mostly ignored them, still reading through everything. His grandmother had been a Shield co-founder, his mom and sister, agents.  His mind was reeling and all he wanted was just to go to sleep. With Steve preferably.

But with Peggy still alive, he probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore. He rubbed his face and sighed. Well, the dream was nice anyway.

He looked up finally when the four men came up to the floor but didn’t move to Steve, or notice his frown as he stepped towards him.

“Buck?” Steve asked, half reaching for him.

“It’s OK, Steve, I get it.” Bucky stood up. “How can I compete with your old girlfriend?”  
  
“You are such an idiot,” Steve said fondly and pulled him into his arms.

“It may take longer than we thought. But I still want to take you out on that date. I just need to find her first, you know?”

Bucky nodded, surprised.  “I could help with that.”

“You have your own life.  Just be here and you’ll be the best.”

Bucky smiled at him and tucked himself against Steve’s chest. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

A few days later, Bucky was back at work at the Brew, the cats welcoming him back loudly and Maddie squealed as she opened the box to a brand new Stark tablet that had hit the shelves a few weeks earlier.

And even more later, he finally got his date with Steve.  Without his sisters around. And no one trying to kill them.  This time anyway.

***  
A few months later

The woman wandered through the darkened street, dark coat hiding her well in the evening light.  She didn’t remember the city, she didn’t think had ever been ever sent here but there was a pull to this.. New York.

The light snowfall had made sure the streets were mostly empty and she could make her way to her destination in relative peace.  She could feel the eyes of the few passerby’s go right over her and she decided she liked the anonymity this city offered her. Maybe that’s why they were staying here.

She knew Steve had been looking for her for the last few months, but there was a reason she was nicknamed the Ghost. She didn’t know where it had come from but she had heard it from all the recruits.

“The Ghost!” they’d whisper, while she passed by them silently, while she beat them to the ground, while she trained them. She didn’t know what it meant them, she’s still not sure what it means now.  None of them were up to par anyway. She beat them and moved on. There was no one that stuck in her mind, they were all a blur of black and red.

She looked through the windows, trying to ignore the sight of her face, both familiar and not.  She was missing something. She wasn’t used to walking around with no padded armour but that wasn’t it. The clothes she had found had been comfortable and made her blend in better than anything she had worn in the last 70 years. She had seen the exhibit, seen this… Peggy’s missing in action announcement and seen her picture.  She knew that this Steve had seen Peggy in her face and the thought of that … pleased her like no other. She wasn’t this Peggy, no matter who anyone thought. She pulled the scarf over the lower half of her face, just so she wouldn’t have to wonder about the similarities between her and this Peggy, which she didn’t want to dwell on, not right away.  The past always came with pain and this wasn’t something she needed this night.

But if she wanted answers, she needed Rogers.  His apartment in Washington, that she had gone through with a fine-tooth comb, still hadn’t been repaired from the damage she had caused and somebody had emptied it from any personal effects. (Was it the redhead, or the blonde? Did it really matter? She didn’t think it did).

So she had made her way to New York. And there she was standing in front of the closed bakery, hand on the door frowning as she pushed at the door. She saw movement in the window and peered inside. The sleeping cat just opened an eye and shot her a look before going back to sleep. Perhaps distracting the local fauna had not been her best idea. She decided to come back the day after figuring that she could find Steve there the next day. Or at least meet this… Bucky?

She muttered grumpily to herself, skipped over a puddle of freezing water and made her way down the streets. She had a good idea where to go, the SHIELD files that the red-haired had put over the net had been very informative.

Dorothy Buchanan, alive, co-founder of shield. Winifred Barnes, alive, daughter of Dorothy, married to Georges Barnes, ex-agent of shield, under surveillance.  Was under surveillance. Shield agents posted to her security had been dismissed and replaced by some loyal to the Hydra agenda. All dispatched, she made sure of it. Their bodies wouldn’t be found for days.

Children, James, Becca, Madison and Evelyn. She frowned as she tried to remember the addresses. James Buchanan Barnes.  Would he be there? She had to find him.

If he wasn’t, would James trust her? She didn’t even trust herself. Or at least her brain.  At least right now it wasn’t hurting her.

She remembered flowers.  Had she received flowers once? She thought she had but she couldn’t be sure. But it had to be a good thing, right?

She made her way through the city, looking through the windows of the store she passed by, finally finding an opened flower shop.  She stepped inside, looking around feeling a little overwhelmed about the whole thing but she started browsing anyway.

She fingered through the money she pilfered from a hydra base as she waited for her flowers to be ready. She grabbed the bouquet, left a healthy tip and made her way out the door and to the subway.

It was a necessary evil and one she didn’t exactly cherish but it was too cold outside to walk. The smell and the low light should make her uncomfortable, but the Ghost thrived in the shadows.  She didn’t feel much different than she did working for Hydra except this time, she chose this. That’s what mattered.

She found the darkest corner of the subway car, the flowers posed gently on her knees, calm and collected while her mind raced.  Was this the right thing? Was this a good thing?

She wasn’t used to questioning herself. She isn’t allowed to question herself.

She almost turned around the entire way to Steve Roger’s apartment. What google maps told her was a 10 minute-walk almost took her three times that.

She could hear the whispers in the shadows call to her in the streets.

She could hear them while she made her way up the stairs.

She could hear them when she knocked and during the entirely too long moment she had to wait for the door to open.

But when it did… it wasn’t blonde hair but brown hair she saw. Not sky-blue eyes but icy grey eyes.

There was a loud meow at his feet and she felt something claw its way up her leg. She looked down and saw a huge cat three-legged cat glaring up at her while the smallest kitten she ever saw was valiantly trying to make its way up her leg.

She frowned while the man gaped before calling out, “Steve, it’s for you!”

But he let her in. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, I have to admit I first started off with this big involved Winter Soldier AU. It was going to be as long as the meet-cute and stuff. But then I realised, this would be better for Natasha's story and that it wasn't the story that I wanted to tell in this. So, Steve just comes in at the end.
> 
> For those of you curious about cats.  
> [ Crookshanks ](http://www.tnfcs.co.uk/History/Norgeskaukatt%20Rufus.JPG)  
> [ Hopalong Cassidy ](http://www.our-happy-cat.com/three-legged-cat.html)  
> [ Cap ](https://www.kimballstock.com/pix/CAT/03/CAT-03-JE0238-01P.JPG)  
> [ Hawkeye ](https://markv5.tumblr.com/post/168890309357/%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%8F%D0%BB/amp)  
> [ Starky ](https://alexraymond006.deviantart.com/art/cat-that-sleeps-on-the-keyboard-682727566)
> 
>  
> 
> I do have a list about a dozen more plus all the avenge-cats.


End file.
